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What's Gisburn like for young kids? Would like to give the blue a go tomorrow - youngest is 5 and is OK round stuff like the Minotaur at CYB. Is Gisburn as smooth?
Gisburn is not very smooth, only the blues/fire road and the very last section which as recently been tarmacked over and spoiled.
In places, parking at cocklet car park first one before the main one there is a good flattish track to the main car park has some rollers and berms but is good. If this has gone well and been enjoyed then.
At car park head left to the firetrack towards the barriers buildings / residential centre to right up firetrack rise but look rightand you will see a track to the right, remember it for the way back....up the small hill and slight down you will see the exit of the blue to your left ignore and carry on firetrack after a few hundred yards on your left you will see blue markers turn left and it a smooth track with some ups and downs then a few rollers before a big berm, followed by another downhill and up. Follow the track flattens out and slightly uphill over a wooden bridges and it will bring you back to the firetrack you rode out on.t his route has gone from nicely red to a faster kitty litter route.....
Carry straight on and pass car park or stop at cafe looking for a left turn after 200 or somyrds short hill and back to the path you started on.
Or more climbing and effort.....
After the kitty litter trail by the river turn right up hill down and before barrier
Turn right up the hill down the other side and pick up the track to right it is rougher than the rest will bring you to a fair climb upwards....lots of mamils taking in the view.....then you will see the track go do into a berms section and bit more of a red but if not going well easy to walk but maybe okay if not too tired or discouraged. At the bottom turn left for car park or right to go to the main park and the cafe.... 8)
Avoid the reds there are some steeper rutted sections for tiny wheels, especially snake and swoopy
Disclaimer distances may be inaccurate.
No, it isn't. But it's fine, with caution. The two sections in particular which may cause issues with very young riders are shared with the red - the first bit out of the hub car park, called 'The Snake', which IMO is in really poor condition with some tight, potholed switchback berms, and the final little chute shortly afterwards down to the road across the reservoir.
The first you can avoid by heading back down the access road from the hub and turning right down the fire road to join up with the main route. The second can't be avoided, but you might want to supervise closely at that point.
The rest is great fun for kids, including a couple of sections they've resurfaced relatively recently. The first of those (just past a long fire-road descent) is easy to carry speed into a steepish section with a drop off to the right, so the youngest again might need some speed control!
Avoid the reds there are some steeper rutted sections for tiny wheels, especially snake and swoopy
It's easy to think the Snake is only part of the red, but it actually isn't supposed to be!
did it with my kids and the hardest bit is the bit out of the carpark- bigish bermy switchbacks - in kids eyes not ours- which was in good condition when i did it
They were a similar age and enjoyed it. Not much gnarr at all and much more an xc fire roadish route.
I know they did some repairs last year to the Snake, so I was surprised at how it was riding when I went for the first time in ages a couple of months ago. Victim of its own popularity really, I think.
That is why I have suggested avoiding main car park so you do not end up on snake or down to the causeway.
Snake is pretty rutted and pot holes at moment nothing as bad as last winter but big braking bumps and with small wheels like 26ers 8) or a kids bikes it would be interesting.
Dont know about the blue but the red is definitely to be avoided for beginners. When I was a beginner I had a go on it and struggled beyond belief
Thanks all for the replies, v helpful - it did prove a bit much for the youngest in parts, but we got round and had a good day. Pretty much walked the entirety of the Snake, but after that things rolled better.